PS 3543 
.A35 E6 

1916 









LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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SPOTTY 



EPITAPHS OF SOME 
DEAR DUMB BEASTS 



BY 

Their Mistress 

ISABEL VALLE 




BOSTON 
THE GORHAM PRESS 

1916 



Copyright, 1916, by Isabel Valle 
All Rights Reserved 



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The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A. 

m 10 1916 
©CI.A4289^i6 



Sweet it is remembering 

Love that was without a sting. 

If a smile show through my tears — 
Little sisters, little brothers, 
You will understand, you dears — 
This excuse is meant for others ! 



PREFACE 

Geneseo, September 5th, 191 5. 
A friend once said to me that it was no compli- 
ment to a dog for me to like him because I liked 
all dogs. I love all dogs and other animals and 
can truthfully say that the only pain my pets ever 
caused me was when they died. This little collec- 
tion is then simply a reminiscent cri du coeur, and 
as such may find an echo in the hearts of those to 
whom ** the dear, dumb beasts " are real people. 

Isabel Valle. 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

MicKiE One and Mickie Two . . . . 13 

Skates, a Mongrel 14 

Little Brother, a China Dog . . . . 14 

Pete, a Bulldog 15 

Joe, a Gordon Setter 16 

JoLi CoEUR, Just a Little Dog . . . . 17 

Scottie, a Scottish Terrier 18 

Tata, a Bullterrier 19 

Mary, a Lamb 20 

Jacqueline, a Pig 21 

GoBEMOUCHES, a Garden Toad .... 22 

Bunny, a Cottontail 23 

DuGO, a Bullterrier 24 

Tony, a Bullterrier 25 

Gully, a Bullterrier 26 

Missy, a Bullterrier 27 

Spotty, Missy's Child 28 

BiLLiE, a Canary 29 

Browndog, an Irish Terrier 30 

Saco, a Coach Dog 31 

Folly, a Manchester Terrier 32 

Maxie, Folly's Child 33 

Pasht, a Cat 34 

Kittybud, a Cat 35 



PAGE 

Tommy, a Stray Cat 36 

Poor Itty Bitty, a Stray Pussy .... 37 

JiMMiE Bear, a Cocker Spaniel .... 38 

GoLDiE, a Goldfish 39 

A Cricket 40 

Fleetwing, a Carrier Pigeon 41 

ScHNAPSEL, a Dachshund 42 

Sadi Carnot, a Schipperke 43 

Ami, a Dachshund 44 

Pretzel, a Dachshund 45 

Dainty, a Skye 46 

Freckles, a Mongrel 47 

QuERiDA, a Chihuahua 48 

FoxiE, a Foxterrier 49 

Peanuts, a Mongrel 50 

Cato^ a Mongrel 51 

Caro, a Florentine Lupetto 52 

Curly, an Irish Terrier 53 

LuPETTA, a Little Florentine Dog ... 54 

ToTO, a Bullterrier 55 

Whiskers, a Gray Squirrel 56 

Smart Alec, a Bantam Cock 57 

Leda, a Pet Swan 58 

Envoi 59 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



FACING 
PAQE 



Spotty Frontispiece 

Skates and a Little Visitor 14 ' 

Pete 15 ' 

Scottie 18*^ 

Tata and Tony 19^ 

Dugo 24 " 

Tony and Missy 25 ^ 

Browndog 30 -^ 

Saco 31 1^ 

Pasht 34 - 

Kittybud 35 ^ 

Schnapsel 42 . 

Sadi Carnot .... 43 ^ 

Querida 4^ - 

Schnapsel and his friends Foxie and Guy . . 49 - 

Lupetta 54 

Toto, who killed the Lamb 55 



V 



EPITAPHS OF SOME DEAR 
DUMB BEASTS 



II 



MICKIE ONE AND MICKIE TWO 

Bullterriers 

Both Mickie One and Mickie Two 

Staunch Yale dogs were, and perfect gentlemen- 

(Ca va sans dire!) 

For them the Cloister open flew, 

A welcome everywhere they knew. 

And when their wagging tails Dteath stilled 

With grief all Freshman Row was filled . . . 

For us what cheer, 

Oh God of dogs, if such wake not again, 

Big-hearted, brave, good fellows, gentlemen — 

If these sleep on, shall we not too? 

Ca va sans dire! 



13 



SKATES 

A Mongrel 

What kind of dog was this? As if looks mat- 
tered ! 
He was a blend bizarre, composite, tattered; 
He was a friend, a pal, an honest fellow 
So white he made most other folks seem yellow ! 



LITTLE BROTHER 

A China Dog 

Upon the mantel where he stood 
"Imperishable Youth" was his, 
And all the charm of puppyhood 
Shone from his polished, pensive phiz. 

A brother to the dogs who came 
And dreamed, or woke beside the blaze ; 
Then one by one, some old and lame, 
Passed from the room beyond his gaze. 

A long, long day was this dear pup's — 
But Fate will have it all must break- 
Hearts, spectacles and Sevres cups 
And dogs of Copenhagen make! 



14 



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''>M 



SKATES AND A LITTLE VISITOR 




PETE 



PETE 

A Bulldog 

Had this dog been a general 

His great broad chest had not held all 

Its decorations nobly won 

In combat or for brave deeds done. 

Yet he loved peace and only fought 

As soldiers do — because he ought. 

It meant disgrace to let a rival go . . . 

Alive . . . none ever did . . . ah no! 

Death was the Champion worsted Pete 

And dying does not mean defeat ! 



15 



JOE 

A Gordon Setter 

A childhood's friend was good old Joe — 
He "passed on" many years ago; 
But in the Dark where he has gone 
He'll wait for me till, I "pass on!" 



i6 



JOLI COEUR 

Just a Little Dog 

To think there'll be 

To morrow and to morrow and to morrow 

And no more Joli Coeur ! 

Eternity — 

Without this sharer of my joy and sorrow — 

My little comforter! 



17 



SCOTTIE 

A Scottish Terrier 

Receptive, responsive, unsv^^ervingly true 

And loving was Scottie, and so clever too! 

In comrade, or brother, or lover, or son, 

These traits have you found them combined all in 

ONE? 



i8 




SCOTTIE 




TATA AND TONY 



TATA 

A Bull terrier 

A traitor's hand laid Tata low,- 
She kissed it as it dealt the blow ! 



19 



MARY 

A Lamb 

Mary was a lovely lamb 
Until she grew big horns 
And turned into a rowdy ram,- 
Her mistress for her mourns! 



20 



JACQUELINE 
J Pig 

If only sweet pig babies 
Need not grow up at all! 
Oh, butcher mills grind swiftly 
And they grind exceeding small! 



21 



GOBEMOUCHES 

A Garden Toad 

Oh, kind Gobemouches 
Why did you die? 
We miss you so, 
The flowers and I! 



22 



BUNNY 

A Cottontail 

What though he nibbled "greens" and pinks, 
Such crimes deserve not death but pardon! 
To Hades, she who mourns him thinks 
With flower and vegetable garden! 



23 



DUGO 

A Bull terrier 

I have given my heart to this dog to tear 
And he will not let it go! 
He has taken it off to the Land of Where 
Past the Desert Whither Ho! 



24 




DUGO 




TONY AND MISSY 



TONY 

A Bullterrier 

Thou had'st no other joy In life 
Save at my side to be; 
Now In thy grave, alone Death's knife 
Shall cut my heart from thee. 



25 



GULLY 

A Bullterrier 

Hot on the scent, with wild enthusiasm, 
He chased his foe, a chipmonk sly, around 
A ledge and down the Highbanks' yawning chasm 
Reached with one bound, the Happy Hunting 
Ground ! 



26 



MISSY 
A Bullterrier 



Who gave my doggie a bad name, 
And shot her, — not the pure, white dead 
But he should lie here in his shame, 
She gamboling above his head! 



27 



SPOTTY 

Missy's Child 

What matters a bar sinister 

When heart and soul are clean and white 

As those of my dear Spotty were? 

Such need not fear the grave's long night. 



28 



BILLIE 

A Canary 

Cruel was the judge who said: 
''By the neck till thou art dead, 
Yellow bird hang on this thread!" 
Who within thy golden throat, 
Broke the lyre, and stilled the note. 



29 



BROWNDOG 

An Irish Terrier 

If love lives, then Browndog must, — 
Though his eyes be filled wath dust, 
Recognize within my heart 
His dear self, of it a part! 



30 




BROWNDOG 




SACO 



SACO 

A Coach Dog 

How many leagues did Saco run 
'Neath sodden skies and blazing sun 
Beside the old red ''breaking" cart! 
But when a touring car we bought 
He pined away, as if he thought 
His day was done — it broke his heart! 



31 



FOLLY 

A Manchester Terrier 
Dear little Folly, Folly of my youth, 
Long, long ago Death took thee without ruth! 
But crueller and sharper is Time's tooth 
That spared thee little Folly of my youth ! 



32 



MAXIE 

Foll/s Child 

How could a baby all untaught 

Escape a wheeled Juggernaut 

That ran him down? 'Twas thus the Erie 

Afternoon train killed our dearie! 



33 



PASHT 

A Cat 

Feathered folk, give thanks! Rejoice! 
To your throats let songs upgush! 
Stilled is now her hated voice, 
Rots our foe beneath this bush! 



34 



PASHT 




KITTY BUD 



KITTYBUD 

A Cat 

Must my Kitty's gold and gray 
Change and grow like shale and clay? 
Is that proud one now a clod 
Underneath a quilt of sod, 
She who like a queen has lain 
On a silken counterpane! 



35 



TOMMY 

A Stray Cat 

Nevermore need Tommy roam 
Looking, longing for a home; 
What he wanted he has found 
In the doorless underground! 



36 



POOR ITTY BITTY 

A Stray Pussy 

She died of cold and hunger in the snow 

Where these forget-me-nots and bluebells grow; 

I never pass them now but I see her 

For whom was life all "miaou" without a purr. — 

The summer day becomes a winter night, 

The lawn's green velvet changes and grows white 

And black upon it, like a blot, there lies 

A tiny sodden heap with open eyes. 



37 



JIMMIE BEAR 

A Cocker Spaniel 

Precious puppy, dearest pet — 
Silken-coated, black as jet. 
Topaz eyes affection-lit — 
Jewel lost in Death's deep pit! 



38 



GOLDIE 

A Goldfish 

Just a little flame was he 
In a crystal-bounded sea 
Flashing, flying all about — 
Suddenly, the flame went out! 



39 



A CRICKET 

Thou quaint musician, 
At the roots of things, 
Ended thy mission, 
Broken thy strings. 



40 



FLEETWING 

A Carrier Pigeon 

Thou little feathered postman 

Who fear'dst no earthly gale, 

Down in the Land of Shadows 

Dost thou still carry mail? 

If our dear mother Proserpine 

Would send thee back with "just a line!' 



41 



SCHNAPSEL 
A Dachshund 



Him hath his mistress snatched 
Oft from the jaws of Death, — 
Now is she overmatched, 
Now hopeless, sorroweth! 



42 




SCHNAPSEL 




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SADI CARNOT 



SADI CARNOT 

A Schipperke 

With happy bark and joyous yap 
Each hour was romp and play 
Till he grew tired and took a nap,- 
He will not wake to day! 



43 



AMI 

A Dachshund 

On the radiant Riviera 

Sleeps forever little Ami ; 

While he lived the world a fairer 

And a cosier place seemed — damme! 



44 



PRETZEL 

A Dachshund 

Pretzelchen they said was mad, 
But a pellet from the vet 
Made our well-beloved pet, 
Glad, forever ever glad! 



45 



DAINTY 

A Skye 

My darling Dainty lies beneath 
This stone, rough clods among; 
For others kept she her sharp teeth, 
For me a roseleaf tongue! 



46 



FRECKLES 

A Mongrel 

No thoroughbred our Freckles was — 
"Unspotted" though inside. 
And "handsome is as handsome does" 
All those who knew him cried! 



47 



QUERIDA 

A Chihuahua 

I weep that naught could save 
Querida from the clay-cold grave; 
For w^hom In life, a muff 
Was too large and not warm enough ! 



48 




QUERIDA 




SCHNAPSEL AND HIS FRIENDS FOXIE AND GUY 



FOXIE 

A Foxterrier 

Where Guy and Foxie used to play 
A doggie's headstone stands to-day. 
Guy, with the saddest of wee faces, 
A daisy wreath upon it places 
And with a rosy finger traces, 
"To Foxie, a beloved pet 
I never, never can forget!" — 
Then, gaily singing, skips alone 
Around the little new-laid stone. 



49 



PEANUTS 

A Mongrel 

Peanuts was just a spotted cur 
Whose personality was such 
Of friends he always had a host; 
But Death has put him out of touch 
With all of them, save only her 
Who "really, truly" loved him most! 



50 



CATO 

A Mongrel 

Than this poor yellow dog, could king do more? 
He honored the illustrious name he bore! 



51 



CARO 

A Florentine Lupetto 

A little lonely soul thou wast, 
A little lion-heart; 
To me thou'rt not a pinch of dust, 
Thou livest still, thou art! 



52 



CURLY 

An Irish Terrier 

Curly was a jolly Irish terrier 

Who one day killed a little lapdog brother; 

He seemed to think: "The less of these the 

merrier 1" 
The poor dear ''dreams true" now Some Where or 

Other! 



53 



LUPETTA 

A Little Florentine Dog 

Within my heart I kept her locked 

A treasure none might see; 

But grinning Death stood by and mocked, 

He held a master key! 

Soon open wide he flung the door 
And took my golden one 
And stole the color from the shore 
And sea, and sky, and sun! 



54 




LUPETTA 




TOTO WHO KILLED THE LAMB 



TOTO 

A Bull terrier 

Together here a lamb and Hon h*e, 

The past forgot — a blank the Bye and Bye. 



55 



WHISKERS 

A Gray Squirrel 

A brigand was this Whiskers — an "Apache" — 
Alike of man and squirrel unafraid. 
The nuts that filled his ever-bursting cache 
Were mostly filched from neighbors he waylaid 
And robbed of breakfast, luncheon, tea and dinner! 
He'd rather fight and steal than eat . . . alas 
It is to sin for sins sake makes the sinner; 
He was the real thing! But let it pass . . . 
The title "hero" cannot be denied 
To one who in each scrimmage comes out winner, 
Of whom descendants feel with truth and pride: 
"He 'dangerously lived' and bravely died !" 



56 



SMART ALEC 

A Bantam Cock 

I pray, my Pretty, where thou'st gone 
'Tis always rosy-radiant dawn. 
That thou mayst cock-a-doodle-do 
The whole day long and all night too ! 



57 



LEDA 

A Pet Swan 

How crystal-clear the bosom of the lake! 
Too clear — for see — no heart beneath it lies ! 
Else would at least its sighs a ripple make 
Upon a surface that so often glassed 
A gentle, sheeny-silver breast now passed 
Beyond the echoes of our last good byes. 
Or is this mirrored nothingness I see 
But a great void within the heart o' me ! 



58 



ENVOI 

When I am lying dead 
Perhaps some tears may fall, — 
But those my dear pets can not shed 
Will hurt far more than all! 



59 



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